Rockets trying to find a way to break 100 on defense

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The Rockets went into Wednesday’s game having given up at least 100 points in every game in the series and all six games in last-season’s first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The streak of allowing at least 100 points in the playoffs was the longest in franchise history and the longest active streak in the NBA.

Rockets coach Kevin McHale said that after four games of the series, the teams know one another well enough that defense had come down to simply staying in front of opposing players.

“We have to go out and individually defend,” McHale said. “We’re stopping their actions for the most part. Then it’s individual defense. We have to tighten them down more. It’s very hard to defend if there’s blow-bys and straight-line drives.

“Look, we have a scouting report for each one of these guys. When we let them play to their strengths, they hurt us. When we make them play to their weaknesses, we’re OK. Part of it’s got to be awareness, but most of it’s just got to be effort. You just have to get down and guard some people. I tell them, there‘s really not much I can do when they swing the ball around to the perimeter and they have five guys on the perimeter. If your man is trying to break you down, try to keep him in front of you.”